Insulated container



Nov. 15, 1966 H. M. PIKER 3,285,450

INSULATED CONTAINER Filed Jan. 25, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

HERBERT M. PIKE/E nah key NOV. 15, 1966 M PIKER INSULATED CONTAINER 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 25, 1962.

INVENTOR. h'msERT M. PIKER Nov. 15, 1966 H. M. PIKER 3,285,450

INSULATED CONTAINER Filed Jan. 25, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. HERBERT M. P/KER Fifi, BY

Aua rye] United States Patent 3,285,450 INSULATED CONTAINER Herbert M. Piker, Wyoming, Ohio, assignor to The Hamilton-Sketch Corporation, Hamilton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Jan. 25, 1962, Ser. No. 168,789 2 Claims. (Cl. 215-13) This invention relates to improvements in an insulated container and the method of making the same.

The invention is disclosed in connection with a container frequently referred to as a jug such as would be employed in transporting liquids in either a hot or cold state and with said liquids retained in this hot or cold state for a considerable period of time.

Broadly, containers for the purpose of that herein shown and described are well known, but those heretofore known included materials requiring machining particularly when parts thereof were formed of metal. The container of the present invention is formed entirely of molded synthetic resins and which molded parts are merely assembled by properly positioning of the parts with respect to one another.

The invention herein disclosed is an improvement on the disclosure in pending application of Herbert M. Piker, Serial No. 75,617.

The principal object of the present invention, therefore, is the provision of a molded inner and outer member which are readily assemblable with one another to have the inner member suspended within the outer member.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a container that will meet the foregoing object and in which the parts, inner and outer container, are formed by the blow molding process.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of an insulated container in which the inner and outer member while formed by the blow molding process are so designed that the said outer member may be provided with an open end through which the inner member is inserted during the process of assembling the parts.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention should be readily apparent by reference to the following specification considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof and it is to be understood that any modifications may be made in the exact structural details there shown and described, within the scope of the appended claims, without'departing from or exceeding the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the insulated container of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the container of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a vertical, sectional view through the container as seen from line 33 on FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a transverse, sectional view through the container as seen from line 44 on FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view horizontally of the container as seen from line 55 on FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view through the container as seen on line 66 on FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation of the outer or enclosing member of the container as produced by the blow method and which view illustrates the method of preparing said outer member for use.

FIG. 8 is a bottom plan view. of the closure or bottom member for the outer or enclosing member.

FIG. 9 is a transverse sectional view through the closure or bottom member as seen from line 99 on FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary, sectional view of the upper end of the assembled container of the present invention illustrating a modification in the construction thereof.

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FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the modified construction of FIG. 10 as seen from line 1111 on said FIG. 10.

FIG. 12, similar to FIG. 6, is an enlarged, fragmentary view of a portion of one side of FIG. 10, showing in detail the modification in FIGS. 10 and 11.

Throughout the several views of the drawings similar reference characters are employed to denote the same or similar parts.

As was noted above, this invention pertains to improvements in an insulated container such as are generally referred to as picnic jugs. Picnic jugs are not new, per se, but as herein disclosed a new and economical jug is produced and in which the parts are molded from synthetic resins and simply snapped or assembled with one another and which action automatically secures the parts to one another for permanently suspending an inner member within an outer member.

Specifically, and referring to the drawings, specifically FIG. 3, there is provided an outer or enclosing member 15 and an inner member 16 telescoped with the outer member through an opening 17 at the lower end of said outer member and with said outer member opening 17 closed by a bottom member 18 which also forms the support for the completed container or jug. The inner member 16 is provided at its upper end with an opening or outlet 19 normally closed by a readily removable cap 20.

The outer member 15 includes a body portion 21 which as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, for example, is of angular cross-section, that is, has four sides, which though slightly outwardly rounded or arcuate are, substantially, at right angles to one another, thereby giving said outer container body 21 the general appearance of being square in transverse cross-section or plan. The lower ends of said body portion 21 inwardly turn to provide a shoulder 22 from which downwardly projects a sleeve 23 having the lower end inwardly turned to provide a flange 24, in turn, having formed centrally thereof the opening 17 t0 the interior of the outer member 15. The upper ends of the body portion sides likewise inwardly, and slightly upwardly, project to form a top 25 substantially centrally of which rises a neck 26 terminating in an inwardly projecting radial flange 27 with an opening 28 centrally thereof and with said flange 27 having a fiat upper surface 29.

The said outer member body 21 when being formed is formed by the blow method and at this time is provided with a bottom or closure portion 30, see FIG. 7, and which, as will presently be made clear, in part, provides the inward radial bottom flange 24. After the said enclosing member 15 has been completely formed as shown in FIG. 7, the said bottom or closure portion 30 i circularly cut out between the lines 31 and 32 to thereby provide the opening 17 through which the inner container 16 is inserted within the outer enclosing member 15.

The upper end of the outer member 15 is provided at two diametrically opposite points with outwardly projecting hollow lugs 33 and 34 through the outer vertical wall of which there is provided an aperture, respectively, 35 and 36, for a purpose subsequently to be described.

The inner member or, container per se, includes a body portion 37 which is preferably circular in crosssection or plan and of a diameter to pass freely through the opening 17 at the bottom of the outer member. The lower end of the container wall 37 forms a bottom 38 for the said container while the upper end thereof conically inwardly extends as at 39 terminating in a sleevelike portion 40. The sleevelike projection 40, in turn, upwardly of the conical portion 39 is reduced in diameter as at 41 and is formed to a diameter very close to the diameter of the top opening 28 of the outer member. The

reduced diameter sleeve portion 41, upwardly, is followed by a slightly reduced cylindrical neck portion 42. The upper end of the reduced neck portion 42 inwardly turns as a radial flange 43 to provide a flat face 44 at the upper end of the neck portion 42 and which cooperates with a closure cap 20 to form a seal for the upper end of the inner container. The said reduced neck portion 42 is provided externally thereof with a rib 45 constituting or forming a screw thread.

As noted above, the external diameter of the container reduced sleeve portion 41 is such as to be substantially equal to the internal diameter of the enclosing or outer member flange opening 28 and said container reduced sleeve portion 41 has projecting radially from its outer surface a plurality of spaced lugs 46, four such lugs being shown in the drawings. Each of said lugs 46 has a flat undersurface and each has a length to overlie the flat upper surface 29 of the enclosing member inwardly projecting radial flange 27 for a distance outwardly of the said flange opening 28.

The inner member or container 15 in its reduced neck portion 40, at diametrically opposite points, is provided with outwardly projecting lugs 47 and 48 which, as will later be made clear, cooperate with the outwardly projecting lugs 33 and 34 of the enclosing member in keying the said enclosing member and inner container against independent rotary movement, as clearly illustrated in FIG. 4. In other words, the assemblage of the inner container and enclosing member is effected, as will subsequently be made clear, to have the said lugs 47 and 48 respectively projecting into the hollow lugs 33 and 34.

As was noted above the said inner container and outer enclosing member are each formed of synthetic resin, which may conveniently take the form of linear polyethylene, with the walls of a relatively thin crosssection wherefore a certain amount of flexibility and bend results in the parts.

After the enclosing member 15 has been formed or blown as illustrated in FIG. 7, and the said enclosing member has had its bottom out therefrom, and after the inner container 16 has been formed or blown the said container or inner member is inserted through the enclosing member bottom opening 17 and pressure applied to the parts to cause the inner member reduced diameter sleeve 41 to be forced through the enclosing or outer member neck opening 28 and the inner container lugs 46 snapped through the said opening 28 to be above the flange 27 and on the flat upper surface 29 thereof. After the said lugs 46 have been snapped into position above the flange 27 the parts are completely and operatively associated with one another to the point of substantially defying separation, except by or through extreme pressure on the parts and only by having said pressure carefully applied to the parts.

From the foregoing, it will now beapparent that there has been provided a container including an outer member 15 and an inner member or container 16 with a considerable space 49 between the body port-ions 21 and 37, respectively, thereof. said parts from one another the said space 49 is filled with heat insulating material, such as spun glass. It should be noted that this insulating material may have granular form for filling the said space 49, preferably, however, the said insulating material will take the form of plastic insulation, as will presently be made clear.

The opening 17 in the bottom of the enclosing member 15 is closed, as noted above, by the supplemental bottom member 18, illustrated in detail in FIGS. 8 and 9 and in operative position in FIG. 3.

As illustrated in said FIGS. 8 and 9, the said bottom member 18 is circular in plan including a central body portion 50 having an upstanding peripheral sleevelike wall 51 terminating in an outward radial flange 52. The sleevelike wall 51 is formed to a diameter closely approximating the internal diameter of the opening 17 while In order to fully insulate the the radial flange 52 outwardly projects therefrom. The supplementary bottom body portion 15 is reinforced by having the major central portion thereof inwardly and upwardly projected, as at 53, and with said central portion 53 having downwardly and outwardly inclining peripheral connection portions 54 which result in the bottom 50' having an active ringlike support portion 55.

In practice, since the said bottom member is formed of relatively flexible plastic, and after the inner container and enclosing outer member have been assembled as above set fourth, the said bottom closure 18 is subjected to pressure sufliciently deformed and flex same to the point that its rim 52 may be pushed through the opening 17, whereupon, and due to its normal springy nature and the removal of the deforming pressure the said bottom closure v18 str-aightens itself out to have its said flange 52 arrange itself on the inner surface of the bottom member flange 24, and thereby be operatively associated with the said outer or enclosing member.

As will be seen from FIG. 3, the said bottom 38 of the inner member or container 16 is upwardly spaced from the closure member body portions 50-53 thereby providing between the said bottoms a space 56 and which space is eventually occupied by insulating material paced therein through the opening 17 prior to the positioning and mounting of the said closure member 18, all as will be presently made clear.

In practice, and before the said bottom closure member 18 is positioned, a spacing member is disposed in the space 56. This spacing member is in the form of a round block, indicated in the drawings by the reference numeral 56' and is formed of foam plastic. plastic, as is well known, is very light in weight yet quite resistant to impact thrust and is an excellent insulator against the transfer of heat and cold. The size of the spacing block or member 56' is such and is so proportioned to the size of the opening 17 and the bottom closure member 18, that the said bottom closure member upon being deformed to pass through the said opening 17 also readily passes over and around the said spacing block or member 56'.

In order to transport the insulated container there is provided a handle, indicated in its entirety by the reference numeral 57, comprising a grip or body portion 58 from the opposite ends of which depend arms 59 and 60 with said arms having, respectively, apertures 61 and 62 at their lower free ends. As will be noted, particularly in FIG. 3, the hollow lugs 33 and 34 extend for the entire height of enclosing or outer member neck 26 and through which extends the apertures 35 and 36. The carrying handle arms apertures 61 and 62 are adapted, respectively, to be axially aligned with said apertures 35 and 36 and to have extending through said aligned apertures pivots 63 and 64 and whereby the handle 57 may be swung in either direction from the position thereof illustrated in said FIG. 3.

In practice the carrying handle 57 is attached to the enclosing or outer member before the connection therewith of the inner container. In other words, after the said enclosing or'outer member 15 has been molded and its opening 17 cut therein the rivets 63 and 64 are inserted through the apertures 35, 36, 61 and 62 with said rivets each having its head 65 in the space 66 conveniently provided between the vertical Walls of the hollow lugs 33 and 34 and the vertical walls of the projections 47 and 48. After the rivets have been positioned the outer ends thereof are upset to provide heads 67.

The inner container is now inserted within, or telescoped with, the outer or enclosing member to the point to have the lugs 46 on the flat surface 29 of the outer or enclosing member top flange 27 and thereby establishing the space 49 between the inner container walls and the outer or enclosing member walls and at the Foam same time spacing the inner container bottom 38 upwardly of the bottom flange 24 of the said enclosing or outer container.

It is at this time that the insulation against heat transfer is placed in the space 49 and space 56. As was noted above this insulation may take the form of any Well known granular insulating material or be of, what is commonly known as, blanket or sheet material, such as fiber-glass and the like, but, again as noted above, the said insulation is preferably of a foam type of plastic.

This foam type of plastic insulation is well known and consists, essentially, of mixing two liquids such as, toluene and di-isocyanate. In other words, after the inner container and enclosing or outer member have been interconnected by engaging the radial lugs 46 of the inner container neck with the flat upper surface of the enclosing outer member flange 27 and before the bottom closure 18 is arranged in position in the said enclosing or outer member, proper quantities of the liquids, such as, toluene and di-isocyanate, are placed within the said space 49 between the inner container and outer member Walls and thereafter the said spacing block or member 56' and the bottom closure 18 are placed in position.

The chemical reaction of the insulation, or foam, forming liquids commences substantially immediately upon their association and continues until the said chemical reaction has affected all of the liquid and which means that the entire space, 49 and 56, is taken up by the said foam. The foam hardens to a substance generally referred to as foam plastic having a definite shape and rigidity. This action therefore results in the space 56 within the enclosing or outer member bottom closure 18 and below the bottom 38 of the inner container being filled, with said insulating plastic foam bearing down on the bottom closure flange 52 and locking it against the enclosing or outer member bottom flange 24.

The resulting constructoin is such that the insulated container has to all intents and purposes, solid side walls and bottom. The said insulation is indicated in the drawings by the reference numeral 68.

It should be noted that after the bottom closure is mounted and secured in place the downwardly projecting ringlike projection 55 of the bottom closure 18 forms the bottom support for the completed insulated container.

The foregoing description dealt with the use of spaced lugs 46 on the inner container as the means for suspending the same within the outer or enclosing member. In the modification illustrated in FIGS. and 11 the said lugs 46 are dispensed with and in their place use is made of a complete ringlike collar 69 projecting from the inner container slightly reduced neck portion 42. Obviously, the said ringlike collar 69 would, like the lugs 46 be disposed on the upper flat surface 29 of the outer or enclosing member flange 27.

The modification in FIGS. 10 and 11 is further illustrated in connection with a construction in which the keying lugs, lugs 47 on the inner container, are not shown, and which, if necessary or desirable, would prevent the said inner container from being pushed too far through the opening 28. In this connection, in the modified construction, the inner container is illustrated as having a recess or groove 70 formed therein to receive the inner or free edge of the outer or enclosing member flange 27; the lower Wall of said recess or groove 70 acting as a stop to the projection of the inner container neck portion 42 through the outer or enclosing member opening or aperture 28. Also to assist in the association of these parts the complete ringlike collar 69 has its upper surface inclined, as at 71, acting as a cam for deflecting the inner or free edge of the flange 27, periphery of its opening or aperture 28, until the recess or groove 70 is in alignment therewith, whereupon the parts are operatively associated with one another.

The remaining construction of the inner container and the outer or enclosing member and the method of assemblage are othewise identical wit-h that above set forth in connection with FIGS. 1 to 9.

In view of the foregoing, it is believed now evident that there has been provided a transportable container or insulated jug that is economical to produce and acquire and otherwise accomplish the objects initially set forth.

What is claimed is;

1. In a container of the class described the combination of an enclosing member substantially rectangular in plan comprising a bottom, a wall upstanding from each side of the bottom, a top, and a neck upstanding from the top, said neck including an inwardly projecting radial flange having a central aperture of a given diameter, said enclosing member bottom including an standing from the periphery of said bottom, a top, and

a sleeve above said top with said sleeve having an external diameter substantially equal to the given diameter of the enclosing neck aperture and with said sleeve projecting upwardly of the enclosing member neck flange, means on said projecting portion of the inner container sleeve cooperating with said enclosing member neck flange suspending said inner container within the enclosing member, closure means cooperating with the outer container bottom inwardly projecting flange closing said enclosing member bottom opening, cooperating means on said enclosing member neck and inner container sleeve keying said inner container and enclosing member against relative angular displacement comprising outwardly projecting hollow lugs from diametrically opposite points on said enclosing member neck, and cooperating lugs from diametrically opposite points on said inner container sleeve projecting into the outer container hollow lugs.

2. In a container of the class described the combination of an enclosing member substantially rectangular in plan comprising a bottom, a wall upstanding from each side of the bottom, a top, and a neck upstanding from the top, said neck including an inwardly projecting radial flange having a central aperture of a given diameter, said enclosing member bottom including an inwardly projecting radial flange having an aperture centrally thereof, an inner container circular in plan of a diameter to pass through the enclosing member bottom aperture to be within the said enclosing member and with said inner container having a bottom, a wall upstanding from the periphery of said bottom, a top, and a sleeve above said top with said sleeve having an external diameter substantially equal to the given diameter of the enclosing neck aperture and with said sleeve projecting upwardly of the enclosing member neck flange, means on said projecting portion of the inner container sleeve cooperating with said enclosing member neck flange suspending said inner container within the enclosing member, closure means cooperating with the outer container bottom inwardly projecting flange closing said enclosing member bottom opening, cooperating means on said enclosing member neck and inner container sleeve keying said inner container and enclosing member against relative angular displacement comprising outwardly projecting hollow lugs from diametrically opposite points on said enclosing member neck, and cooperating lugs from diametrically opposite points on said inner container sleeve projecting into the outer container hollow lugs, said enclosing member outwardly projecting lugs each including a vertical wall, a U-shaped carrying handle including a body portion and depending arms at each end of said body portion, and pivot means pivot 7 ally connecting the free ends of the handle arms to the outwardly projecting lugs vertical walls.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 25,146 3/1962 Huck 215-13 1,771,123 7/1930 Johnson 21513 2,812,874 11/1957 Casalino 21513 2,818,990 1/1958 Sommerfeld 215-43 2,837,232 6/1958 Rossi 21513 1 2,881,936 4/1959 Piker 21513 2,953,817 9/1960 Miller et a1. 1855 8 2,966,702 1/1961 Soubier 1855 3,094,448 6/1963 Cornelius 215- 13 3,096,897 7/1963 Hansen 215-13 5 FOREIGN PATENTS 537,331 4/1955 Belgium.

JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

EARLE I. DRUMMOND, FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, 0 Examiners.

JOHN J. HOEY, R. PESHOCK, Assistant Examiners. 

1. IN A CONTAINER OF THE CLASS DESCRIBED THE COMBINATION OF AN ENCLOSING MEMBER SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR IN PLAN COMPRISING A BOTTOM, A WALL UPSTANDING FROM EACH SIDE OF THE BOTTOM, A TOP, AND A NECK UPSTANDING FROM THE TOP, SAID NECK INCLUDING AN INWARDLY PROJECTING RADIAL FLANGE HAVING A CENTRAL APERTURE OF A GIVEN DIAMETER, SAID ENCLOSING MEMBER BOTTOM INCLUDING AN INWARDLY PROJECTING RADIAL FLANGE HAVING AN APERTURE CENTRALLY THEREOF, AN INNER CONTAINER CIRCULAR IN PLAN OF A DIAMETER TO PASS THROUGH THE ENCLOSING MEMBER BOTTOM APERTURE TO BE WITHIN THE SAID ENCLOSING MEMBER AND WITH SAID INNER CONTAINER HAVING A BOTTOM, A WALL UPSTANDING FROM THE PERIPHERY OF SAID BOTTOM, A TOP, AND A SLEEVE ABOVE SAID TOP WITH SAID SLEEVE HAVING AN EXTERNAL DIAMETER SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE GIVEN DIAMETER OF THE ENCLOSING NECK APERTURE AND WITH SAID SLEEVE PROJECTING UPWARDLY OF THE ENCLOSING MEMBER NECK FLANGE, MEANS ON SAID PROJECTING PORTION OF THE INNER CONTAINER SLEEVE COOPERATING WITH SAID ENCLOSING MEMBER NECK FLANGE SUSPENDING SAID INNER CONTAINER WITHIN THE ENCLOSING MEMBER, CLOSURE MEANS COOPERATING WITH THE OUTER CONTAINER BOTTOM INWARDLY PROJECTING FLANGE CLOSING SAID ENCLOSING MEMBER BOTTOM OPENING, COOPERATING MEANS ON SAID ENCLOSING MEMBER NECK AND INNER CONTAINER SLEEVE KEYING SAID INNER CONTAINER AND ENCLOSING MEMBER, AGAINST RELATIVE ANGULAR DISPLACEMENT COMPRISING OUTWARDLY PROJECTING HOLLOW LUGS FROM DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSITE POINTS ON SAID ENCLOSING MEMBER NECK, AND COOPERATING LUGS FROM DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSITE POINTS ON SAID INNER CONTAINER SLEEVE PROJECTING INTO TH E OUTER CONTAINER HOLLOW LUGS. 